INGREEN will obtain at least 20% more value than state-of-the-art methods from the project side-stream feedstocks, which are usually considered waste, through six key steps.

The scientific approach followed by INGREEN assumes that only tailor-made biotechnological approaches and processes, validated at industrial levels, may overcome the main barriers limiting the production of bio-based ingredients, compounds, and products. The project will create new cross-sectorial interconnections within the bio-based economy for whey from cheese making, wheat and rye bran milling by-products and papermill side streams. These partnerships will set the basis for new bio-based value chains that demonstrate consumer products based on bio-based chemicals and materials that meet market requirements. 

These impacts will be achieved though six key steps, namely:

1. Assessment of physico-chemical properties of the chosen side streams and by-products, leading to the setup of the biotechnological processes
2. Selection of the microbial consortia and enzymes and optimization of their performances at pilot scale
3. Production of well characterized bio-based functional ingredients
4. Production of sustainable, innovative, functional, high quality, and commercial product prototypes using the bio-based ingredients in different industrial environments
5. Evaluation of the sustainability, regulatory requirements, and standardisation of the biotechnological processes and prototypes in comparison with the current benchmarks, taken further in exploitation plans and communication activities
6. Completion of a deep analysis in terms of Life Cycle Analysis, Life Cycle Costing, and Techno-economic assessment to understand the feasibility and sustainability of the processes and accelerate market uptake